The Seasons of Life: Winter
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot;
Ecclesiastes 3:1,2
Today we will finish the series “The Seasons of Life”, where through 4 texts we were led to reflect on the moments of our lives by making an analogy with the seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Without a doubt, we can say that our life is full of different circumstances that are not always well defined as the seasons. Sometimes spring is not only flowers and thinking about this I remembered a violin concerto by a very famous Italian composer named Antonio Vivaldi, entitled “The Four Seasons”.
In his composition, through music he brings in different notes these nuances that exist within each season, just like life, but it is still possible to perceive that there is a cycle, a beginning, a middle, and an end. In the Bible we find numerous passages that speak exactly about this, the weather, and today we will talk about the winter.
Winter
Winter is the time of trials and struggles. It is also in this spiritual season that the enemy takes advantage of it to attack mercilessly. In winter it gets dark earlier, for everything is darkness away from the house of God. The days are short, that is, if there is joy, it is fleeting and false. We go into hibernation, wanting to sleep and only wake up when the struggle is over.
In this season, we can forget that God is consuming fire and that Jesus said that He came to cast fire on the earth as it is written in Luke 12:49, but we should not. We cannot let spiritual coldness take over us, because it takes us away from what the Lord has for us.
However great the struggle, we have a faithful God who cares for us even when everything seems cold and gloomy. It is often in the winter that laziness comes, but we must not accept being below average Christians, so get up and awaken from your slumber, for the One you serve is mighty to warm whatever winter it is.
So don’t let the winter go unnoticed, use this season to draw even closer to what the Lord has for your life, it is in hardship where we are forged and prepared to go beyond. What for many may just be cold, for you may be the ideal time to warm your spirit with the Savior.
I leave here the passage from James 1: 2-4 that says that tribulation produces maturity in us:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Conclusion
Thinking about what we talked about today, do you ever scrutinize your heart or seasons that you have been through? Does hibernating during the winter for you mean doing nothing or staying awake to plan for the next season? Reflect and remember that each season has its own beauty and brings with it new opportunities to draw closer to God.
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by
Nicole Leao
Nicole Leão, faço parte da equipe da Bíblia JFA.
